Grain spout for tilting bed trucks

ABSTRACT

A discharge spout releasably attached adjacent the opening in the tailgate of a vehicle for hauling granular material. The chute is so designed as to be quickly and easily removed when not in use and of a construction permitting interchangeable mounting thereof on more than one vehicle. The chute also serves as an extension of the bed enabling it to be tilted to a greater angle before interfering with the adjacent hopper of an auxiliary granular material conveying mechanism.

United States Patent [191 Turner May 15, 1973 [54] GRAIN SPOUT FOR TILTING BED TRUCKS [76] Inventor: Harvey W. Turner, Rt. 1, Thompson, Md. 65285 [22] Filed: June 3, 1971 [2]] Appl. N0.: 149,591

[52] U.S. Cl. ..l93/5 [51] Int. Cl ..B65g 11/00 [58] Field of Search ..193/4, 5; 298/7 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 777,084 12/1904 Dwyer ..298/7 2,542,799 2/l95l Day ..193/5 6/1908 Claypoole ..298/7 8/1926 Pardee ..298/7 UX Primary ExaminerEvon C. Blunk Assistant ExaminerH. S. Lane Attorney -Schmidt,Johnson, Hovey & Williams 57' ABSTRACT A discharge spout releasably attached adjacent the opening in the tailgate of a vehicle for hauling granular material. The chute is so designed as to be quickly and easily removed when not in use and of a construction permitting interchangeable mounting thereof on more than one vehicle. The chute also serves as an extension of the bed enabling it to be tilted to a greater angle before interfering with the adjacent hopper of an auxiliary granular material conveying mechanism.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GRAIN SPOUT FOR TILTING BED TRUCKS This invention relates to an improved discharge spout for tilting bed trucks of the type which are commonly used to haul granule material such as grain from a collection point to a delivery area.

It has long been recognized that the flow of material such as grain as it leaves the opening in the tailgate of a tilting bed truck or the like will flow erratically therefrom unless directional control thereover is maintained. This has usually been rather crudely accomplished by the use of burlap sacks or various othertemporarily rigged spout means that might be readily available at the unloading site. Agreat amount of waste can occur, as well as considerable time lost when there is not provided a simple and inexpensive device for controlling and directing this flow.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a discharge chute that can be easily and quickly installed and removed from the tailgate and bed of a tilting bed, granular material receiving vehicle without the use of tools.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive discharge chute which is interchangeable from one vehicle to another, therefore permitting it to be left at the point of unloading, thus eliminating the need for such a chute on each and every vehicle.

It is a further important object of the instant invention to provide an improved discharge spout of the Chute is positioned relative to opening 16 in a location to direct granular material flowing out of opening 16 to follow a path presenting a controlled, relatively dense stream through a discharge passage 20 of the spout.

Discharge chute 10 consists of a trapezoidal-shaped bottom wall 22 having an elongated, straight end margin 24 adapted to rest on the top'edge of sill 26 of truck bed 12. When properly positioned, end margin 24 is adlO jacent the opening I6of tailgate 114 for receiving grain lar, opposed sidewalls 28 thereon located in diverging characteristics noted which is operable to control the direction of flow of material into a fairly compact and consistent stream.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a spout of a construction which permits theoperator of the truck to approach an unloading area without the need for precise alignment of the spout with a cooperating material receiving hopper, thereby saving time as well as spillage and waste.

Another object of my invention is to provide a discharge spout of a configuration providing additional clearance for the bed of the vehicle so that a sharper degree of tilt thereof is permissible, thus minimizing the need for scooping the material within the truck toward the tailgate opening.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective fragmentary end view illustrating the tailgate portion of a tilting bed vehicle and having the improved discharge chute of this invention attached thereto and in communication with the hopper of an adjacent conveying unit;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the discharge chute shown removed from a vehicle;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, longitudinal, vertical sectional view of the discharge chute in the normal position thereof attached to the tailgate of a vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a fragementary, enlarged, top plan view showing one corner of the discharge chute and better illustrating the tailgate mounting structure thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged, partially exploded perspective view detailing the releasable mounting structure of the discharge chute illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, the grain spout or chute 10 is shown in the normal installed position thereof on the tilting bed 12 of a vehicle such as a truck. Tailgate 14 connected to sides 15 of the truck and supported on bed 12 has an opening 16 therein for permitting discharge of granular material from the truck upon raising of a shiftable partition 18 normally closing opening 16.

relationship as the end margin 24 is approached. The ends of sidewalls 28 remote from margin 24 along with bottom wall 22 cooperate to define discharge passage 20. Sidewalls 28 are formed to present parallel portions 29 immediately adjacent end margin 24 thereby affording a rigid base for attachment of chute 10 to tailgate 14.

A crosspiece 30 is affixed to uppermost edges 32 of sidewalls 28 at theouter extremities thereof to prevent distortion of t sidewalls 28 relative to wall 22 as the granular material flows therepast. Additionally, an angular support 54 is .provided on the bottom surface of wall 22 in parallel, spaced relationship outwardly from end margin 24 a sufficient distance to clear sill 26 of bed 12 when chute 10 is mounted thereon.

A'quick releasemounting structure 34 includes a pair of opposed, elongated reinforcing elements 36 which are adapted to be affixed to the inner surfaces of sidewalls 28 adjacent the end margin 24. The uppermost edges 32 of sidewalls 28 are additionally provided with upwardly opening, normally vertically disposed boltreceiving slots 38 adjoining elements 36.

Two bolt supporting mounting members 40 are provided to be affixed to the tailgate portion 14 of the vehicle bed 12 on opposite, lowermost sides of opening l6for receiving chute 10. Mounting members 40 each comprise an angle 42 having an outwardly projecting leg 44 with a threaded hole for receiving bolt 46. Bolts 46 are in axial alignment, extended toward each other from opposite sides of opening 16 and are each releasably locked in position by a corresponding locking nut 50. The space between head 48 of each bolt 46 and nut 50 thereon is adapted to "clear a respective sidewall 28. Bolts 46 in cooperation with respective slots 38 and mounting structure 34, define't'he quick release mounting structures 52 of spout 10.

In operation-as the load-carrying vehicle approaches the point of discharge, but before partition 18 has been shifted upwardly, chute 10 "is quckly installed 'by grasping crosspiece 30 with one hand and supporting the lower side ofbo'tt'om wall 22 near end margin 24 with the other hand positioning thechute so that slots 38 of sidewalls 28 are engaged with respective bolts 46 of mounting members 40. As cro'sspiece 30 is permitted to move downwardly, c'hute l0 swings through an arc to bring the bottom wall 22 into contact with sill 26 of bed 12. The curved, outside, upper edge 37 of the elements 36 allowsufficient clearance between angle 42 and mounting structures "52 fortro'uble free,speedy installation of chute 10. The upper portions of elements 36 of adjacent slots 48 are then in contact with bolts 46 and the lower extremities are in contact with angle 42 of mounting member 40, thus maintaining chute 10 in its operable position. i

After chute is properly positioned and as bed 12 is being raised to a tilted position, the outermost extremity of chute 10 becomes visible beneath bed 12 as the operator looks rearwardly from the cab of the vehicle. The visibility of spout 10 enables him to properly approach and align the vehicle with the receiving hopper 56 of an adjacent granular material conveying apparatus 58. Once the vehicle has been properly positioned relative to the conveying apparatus, the shiftable partition 18 can then be raised and adjusted, thus allowing a metered, direction controlled flow of the granular material into the hopper 56 via chute 10.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. For use with a granular material receiving vehicle having a tilting bed supporting a tailgate provided with an up-right opening therein located inwardly of the rear sill of the bed and normally closed by a vertically shiftable partition, a material discharge chute structure comprising;

a trapezoidal-shaped wall presenting a bottom and having an end margin adapted to rest on the truck bed in alignment with the lower part of the opening in said tailgate;

a pair of upstanding, opposed sidewalls joined to said bottom wall extending forwardly from said end margin thereof and diverging as the latter is approached, the extremeties of the sidewalls remote from said end margin being in spaced relationship to present a discharge passage therebetween, said sidewalls each having an elongated, vertically disposed reinforcing element thereon adjacent respective end margins thereof proximal to said end margin of the bottom, said marginal ends of said sidewalls and the reinforcing elements being configured to substantially abut opposed upright edges of said tailgate opening in conforming relationship thereto; and

mutually interengageable, quick release mounting structure including upwardly opening slot means in each of said sidewalls adjacent the reinforcing elements thereof, and a pair of opposed, elongated elements adapted to be mounted on the tailgate in facing relationship in disposition of said truck to be removably received in said vertically disposed slots in said sidewalls and to shift downwardly therein as the structure is pivoted inwardly to bring said end margin of the bottom to rest in said rear sill of the vehicle bed.

2. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 1, wherein said opposed, elongated elements comprise bolts having heads on the outer ends thereof.

3. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 2, wherein is provided separate mounting members supporting said bolts and adapted to be secured to said tailgate on opposite sides of said discharge opening.

4. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 3, wherein said mounting members each comprise an angle with one leg thereof supporting a respective bolt thereon, while the opposed leg in perpendicular relationship thereto is adapted to be secured to the tailgate of said vehicle, thereby providing a surface for the simultaneous abutment of the marginal ends of said side-walls and said attached reinforcing elements.

5. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 1, wherein is provided an angular support in underlying relationship to said bottom wall in parallel spaced relationship from said end margin of said bottom wall.

6. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 1, wherein is provided a crosspiece spanning the sidewalls in remote rela-tionship from said end margin of the bottom wall and located above the bottom wall for presenting the deflection of the side-walls relatively as material engages the sidewalls during release from the vehicle for flow through said discharge passage.

l i I! l 

1. For use with a granular material receiving vehicle having a tilting bed supporting a tailgate provided with an up-right opening therein located inwardly of the rear sill of the bed and normally closed by a vertically shiftable partition, a material discharge chute structure comprising; a trapezoidal-shaped wall presenting a bottom and having an end margin adapted to rest on the truck bed in alignment with the lower part of the opening in said tailgate; a pair of upstanding, opposed sidewalls joined to said bottom wall extending forwardly from said end margin thereof and diverging as the latter is approached, the extremeties of the sidewalls remote from said end margin being in spaced relationship to present a discharge passage therebetween, said sidewalls each having an elongated, vertically disposed reinforcing element thereon adjacent respective end margins thereof proximal to said end margin of the bottom, said marginal ends of said sidewalls and the reinforcing elements being configured to substantially abut opposed upright edges of said tailgate opening in conforming relationship thereto; and mutually interengageable, quick release mounting structure including upwardly opening slot means in each of said sidewalls adjacent the reinforcing elements thereof, and a pair of opposed, elongated elements adapted to be mounted on the tailgate in facing relationship in disposition of said truck to be removably received in said vertically disposed slots in said sidewalls and to shift downwardly therein as the structure is pivoted inwardly to bring said end margin of the bottom to rest in said rear sill of the vehicle bed.
 2. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 1, wherein said opposed, elongated elements comprise bolts having heads on the outer ends thereof.
 3. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 2, wherein is provided separate mounting members supporting said bolts and adapted to be secured to said tailgate on opposite sides of said discharge opening.
 4. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 3, wherein said mounting members each comprise an angle with one leg thereof supporting a respective bolt thereon, while the opposed leg in perpendicular relationship thereto is adapted to be secured to the tailgate of said vehicle, thereby providing a surface for the simultaneous abutment of the marginal ends of said side-walls and said attached reinforcing elements.
 5. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 1, wherein is provided an angular support in underlying relationship to said bottom wall in parallel spaced relationship from said end margin of said bottom wall.
 6. A discharge chute as set forth in claim 1, wherein is provided a crosspiece spanning the sidewalls in remote rela-tionship from said end margin of the bottom wall and located above the bottom wall for presenting the deflection of the side-walls relatively as material engages the sidewalls during release from the vehicle for flow through said discharge passage. 